Carpenter Bees

More often than not when conducting a home inspection in Tallahassee with wood trim or siding, we find evidence of carpenter bees. While this is not considered a WDO (wood destroying organism) by the state of Florida for the purpose of a WDO inspection, they do cause wood damage. Carpenter bees don’t actually eat the wood, but the female burrows with the wood grain to make a nest to lay eggs in, called a gallery. The entrance hole almost looks like it was drilled; it’s so perfectly round in nature, and usually approximately a half inch in size. Oftentimes you can identify the approximate location of these entrance holes by the pollen and excrement on the siding or building material. A pair of bees making galleries one time wont necessarily cause much structural damage to the wood. The problem is the larva that hatch will return to the same place the following seasons and keep adding to the existing decay, which can lead to more wood damage over time.

We always note the approximate location of any carpenter bee holes we see during a home inspection in the exterior portion of the report because it’s relatively easy to cure current infestations and prevent future damage. Treating the hole with a dry insecticide dust, like Drione, and then plugging it will kill any larva that hatch and other bees won’t be able to use the existing tunnel. The fact they prefer to use existing holes over boring new ones makes them susceptible to a wide variety of carpenter bee traps. Remember to keep ladder safety in mind while treating holes, and know that only the females can sting, while the males will fly around in an aggressive manner.
Below are some pictures to help you see what to look for around your own home.